A Hero's Heart
by Bad l'Cie
Summary: Things start to turn around for Sephiroth and gets sent to Cocoon for thirteen days. But what happens to keep him there for longer than he bargined for?
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own anything from FFVII or FFXIII_

It had been two months after the fall of the Remnants. Cloud, Tifa, Denzel and Marlene still lived in Midgar and they were regularly visited by their friends. That was, until Cloud was attacked and he became mentally ill. Two weeks later, he had murdered Denzel and Marlene. Aerith tried and tried from the Lifestream to cure him, but nothing worked. One day, Tifa braced herself and entered Cloud's bedroom.

She almost fainted when she saw what had become of Cloud Strife. The walls read his friends names in what seemed like red paint. Nine names were crossed out. Two of which were Denzel's and Marlene's. Tifa raised her hand to her mouth and whimpered in terror. Suddenly, a knife slammed into the wall next to her and her heart began to race. She turned around to find Cloud sitting on the dirty floorboards. He was sticking pins in voodoo dolls of his friends. His electric blue eyes were no longer human. The pupils were purple slits and the purple seemed to be leaking into his irises.  
"Tifa..." He snarled with his teeth bared. She went to step back and hit her back against the wall.  
"Cloud! What happened to you?" Tifa asked in fear. He breathed through his mouth and licked his fangs.  
"Nothing of your concern." Cloud replied. He hungrily stared her down like a starving wolf would a baby.  
"Cloud! Please! I'm your friend! Why would you hurt me?" She asked with her voice wavering in fear. He halted for a second and then cocked his head to the side.  
"If you were my friend, why don't I remember anything about you other than your name?" Cloud asked with a shaking head. Tifa gulped and her breathing quickened. She looked at his bicep and there was a scratch looking as if it belonged to a wolf... or to a large dog.

Then it clicked. The another of the names was Red's.  
"You killed Red XIII? Why?" she asked. Cloud grasped her neck and slammed her into the wall.  
"If I told you, your name would end up like theirs." Cloud replied.  
"Cloud. Who attacked you?" She asked, nervous sweat pouring down her face. He let go of her and she fell to the ground. She raised her head to see Cloud staring at the moon through a hole in his roof and he howled at it. Tifa was bewildered. He turned back to her with his eyes burning with rage. The purple in his eyes spread even further into his irises, making it seem like he had huge pupils due to brain damage.  
"You want to know who did this to me?" he asked. Tifa nodded. Cloud pointed at one of the names on his wall. The Tifa got off of the ground and stared at the name. It was crossed out, but Tifa still made out the letters. That name made her shiver with hate and fear. That name was once revered as a hero and now revered as a villain.

"Sephiroth? He did this to you?" Tifa asked. She turned to find Cloud on the ground. He was wincing in pain. He lifted his head and Tifa gasped. Cloud's teeth were as sharp as blades and his hair was slowly turning black like the night sky above.  
"He didn't do it." Cloud snarled.  
"Then who did?" Tifa asked.  
"Look at the name next to his." Cloud replied and then turned to the moon to calm himself. She tried to decipher the writing, but it still didn't make any sense.  
"I can't read it." She admitted with a defeated sigh. The blonde stood up and then fell to the ground again. He got up and pointed to the name next to Sephiroth's. She squinted, but she still couldn't read it. Cloud sighed and pointed again at the name.  
"Hojo. It's his fault that I had been given Jenova cells. It's his fault that I was mauled by wolves. Wolves that were made to track those with Jenova's cells and kill them. I was bitten in multiple places, but the bite was toxic. I deteriorated until I became what you see now. I don't remember anything before the mauling, however." Cloud replied and let his hand fall to his side.

Tifa sighed and went to Cloud's side. She ruffled his hair and he growled with pleasure.  
"Everyone on these walls has been in contact with the wolves at some time. I tried to find out what they knew about them, but I grew frustrated with them and killed them by my own hand." Cloud said with a snarl. She turned to the wall and saw her own name there.  
"I've never seen any wolves like that." Tifa replied.  
"Yes you have. All that remains in my memories are the wolves and who they had been in contact with. Denzel took care of one. Marlene trained another. Red was friends with one. Vincent had one as a pet. Hojo made them. Cat Sith was chased by one. Aerith healed one with a broken foot. Rufus kept two in the Shinra building. Barrett kept a few. You gave one water and food. Cid had one as a pet. Yuffie fought them as training. Lucrecia was attacked by a few before turning into crystal. Zack was scratched by one. I was mauled by a group of them. Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal fought them to stay alive. Do you see the connections?" Cloud asked.  
"You, Zack, Lucrecia, Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth all had one thing in common." Tifa replied.

"Jenova cells. Like I said, they were created to take down all life forms with Jenova cells of any kind. Angeal's mother Gillian, was killed by one. They thought she committed suicide. She was killed by one as she had Jenova cells." Cloud explained.  
"Now that I've told you, what do you know about them?" Cloud asked, his eyes narrowing to slits. Tifa couldn't think of anything.  
"I don't know anything other than what you told me. I swear." She replied.  
"Tell me what you know!" Cloud exclaimed angrily.  
"I don't know anything!" She replied in fear. Cloud bared his teeth at her.  
"I'm growing impatient!" He snarled, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Tifa could swear that her heart was about to leap out of her throat. She fell to her knees and held the blonde's hands.  
"Wait! I'll see if I can find anything about them! Just give me some time! Please!" Tifa begged in fright. Cloud took a deep breath and slid his hands out of hers.  
"Fine. But, you have only three days." Cloud replied. Tifa jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.  
"Thank you!" she exclaimed and pressed her lips up against his. She then released his lips from hers and ran out of the room.

"How is he?" Barrett asked as Tifa bounded down the staircase.  
"Bad. I need to find somebody, quickly." She replied. Yuffie stood up from the bar stool and sighed.  
"Tifa, no one can help him." She said.  
"No, I need to find somebody. As in, somebody who knows about what mauled Cloud." Tifa replied. Vincent leaned against the bar and looked down at his wolf. The black creature growled in pleasure as Vincent scratched its ears. The wolf's purple eyes glinted with pleasure. The wolf spotted Cath Sith and growled. Cat Sith jumped from the spot next to Cid and clung to a pole.  
"Get down ya pathetic wolf!" Cath Sith exclaimed and hissed at the wolf. The wolf growled again and Tifa gasped.  
"Vincent? Is that your wolf?" Tifa asked.  
"Yeah." Vincent replied.  
"Your wolf sounds like Cloud. Was the wolf created by Hojo?" she asked.  
"I think so." Vincent replied.  
"Do you know anything? Other than what they were made for?" Tifa asked. Vincent looked down at the wolf and nodded.  
"Yeah, I know a few things." He replied. Tifa ran up to Vincent and gazed down at the wolf.  
"Tell me what you know. Please!" Tifa exclaimed. Vincent looked down at his wolf and then back at the teary eyed Tifa. He sighed and shook his head. Tifa grabbed the former Turk's coat and pulled him closer.  
"Please! If you don't Cloud will kill again! Please!" Tifa exclaimed louder. Barrett looked at Yuffie and Cid with a worried expression. Vincent sighed and nodded.  
"Alright. I'll tell you." Vincent replied. Tifa let a smile grace her face and released Vincent's coat. She pulled up a stool and sat down next to him.

Vincent crossed his arms and looked down at his sullen wolf. The wolf wondered around the bar and travelled up the stairs.  
"These wolves were created by Hojo and they were mistakenly created as weapons to kill those with Jenova cells. He created them shortly after Lucrecia had Sephiroth. He figured that they would serve as training for Sephiroth when he got older. That was until they began to track his wife's every movements and they attacked her before she turned to crystal. Sephiroth was almost killed by one when he was three. Only then did Hojo realise what he had done. He tried to kill the wolves off, but the originals escaped and they became part of the ecosystem. They have an intense sense of smell. That's why they don't have pupils. You would expect them to be blind, but they see as well as normal wolves do. Not only do they track and kill those with Jenova cells but also those who have power beyond a normal human's capabilities, the slaves of the Pulsian gods. Don't ask me about those gods. To find out more about that, you'd have to ask Hojo." Vincent replied.  
"Alright. Thanks!" Tifa chirped and dashed up the stairs.

When she got to Cloud's door, there was a vicious bout of yelping and snarling coming from inside. She burst through the door to find Vincent's wolf attacking Cloud. But what made Tifa nervous wasn't the fact that Cloud was being mauled again, it was the fact that he was attacking with claws and fangs instead of his Fusion blade.  
"Vincent!" Tifa yelled. The former Turk heard her calling and ran upstairs to see what was going on. He gasped and shook his head.  
"Charlie! Heel!" Vincent called and the wolf sat on the ground sullenly, looking from Cloud to Vincent and then whining.  
"No. Get downstairs!" Vincent commanded and the wolf plodded out of the room. Tifa pushed Vincent inside and shut the door behind her.  
"This is what I was talking about. I think... he's becoming a wolf." Tifa said. Cloud was hyperventilating on the ground and stared at Vincent with his psychotic eyes.  
"Why are you back? I told you, three days." Cloud snarled at Tifa. Vincent got down to Cloud's level and checked out what was going on. He sighed and stood up.  
"The toxin from when he was mauled. He's turning into one of the wolves." Vincent replied. Cloud stood and up and showed how mutated he truly was. His arms were covered in fur and his hands were slowly morphing into paws. He had a fuzzy tail whipping about behind him. His eyes were completely purple and showed no signs of owning pupils.  
"What do you know?" Cloud growled.  
"Vincent will explain." Tifa replied and Vincent told Cloud exactly what he told Tifa. Cloud was sitting on his ripped up mattress when Vincent had finished.  
"Wait, so these wolves were never intended to track us down? They were to serve as Sephiroth's sparring toys?" Cloud asked in surprise. Vincent nodded.  
"You can trust a scientist to completely mess up an experiment!" Tifa laughed. Cloud stared at the two of them with his lifeless eyes. Tifa's laughter subsided and Vincent was getting anxious. Cloud brought his furry hand across his arm and coated his hand in his own blood. He wondered up to the wall and used his blood as paint. He searched the names on the wall and crossed out two names.  
"What is he doing?" Vincent asked.  
"He's going to kill us!" Tifa exclaimed in surprise. Cloud turned around and bared his teeth at his friends.  
"Stay absolutely still." Cloud instructed and brutally attacked them.


	2. Chapter 2

Sephiroth awoke to the sounds of demonic growling. Wet salvia dribbled over his face. He groaned, sat up and wiped the salvia off of his face. He stood up and turned to find that he was surrounded by purple eyed beasts. Surrounded by the wolves that always attacked him. Genesis called them the 'Strikers' as they never hesitated to try and strike them down. He pulled out Masamune and slashed the wolves down, one by one. He put his blade away and knelt on the ground to study the wolves closer. Their fur was as black as night and as coarse as straw. The 'Strikers' never seemed to leave him alone. Even when he was isolated in a cave.

He got off of the ground and wondered the cave, not really sure where he was going. He came to a dead end and sighed. He turned around and took another route. After walking around for what seemed three hours, he came across another dead end. He sighed again and went to turn around. The way he had come had been sealed off. He placed one hand on the wall and he found that it was indeed, solid. He groaned in disappointment and turned the other way. The dead end he had just arrived to opened up into a cavern.

Sephiroth wondered inside and he found the unexpected. Mako crystals covered the ground and the ceiling of the expansive cavern. On the other end, stood a large Mako crystal with a woman sleeping inside of it. The woman was strangely familiar, even though he had never seen her in his life. It was as if he had met her in another life. He walked towards the crystal and placed his hand gently on the cool surface of the crystal. He closed his eyes as the coldness of the crystal seeped through his glove and it chilled the surface of his skin. The sensation was one that was incredibly similar to that of someone gently running their fingers down his hand and made it tingle as he removed it from the crystal.

Suddenly, the 'Strikers' pounced into the cavern and growled their demonic warning. Sephiroth pulled out Masamune and prepared to fight.  
"At ease!" a familiar voice exclaimed and both the 'Strikers' and Sephiroth relaxed. The owner of the voice walked out from behind the corner and stood smiling.  
"Hojo!" Sephiroth spat in repulsion. Hojo looked at the crystal and then to Sephiroth before smiling. He dismissed the wolves and they drifted out of the cavern. Hojo walked up to Sephiroth and then placed a hand on his shoulder. Sephiroth looked at the hand and swatted it away from his shoulder. Hojo laughed before strolling towards the crystal.  
"At last, my son has found his mother. Hm! The whole family has been reunited." Hojo replied. Sephiroth's eyes widened in shock. He then relaxed and thought that he had misheard it.  
"What did you say? I wasn't listening." Sephiroth replied.  
"I said that the family has been reunited. Mother, father and son." Hojo said. Sephiroth chuckled.  
"That's funny! For a second there I thought you had said that I was your son and she was my mother!" he laughed. Hojo didn't look too happy. Sephiroth's laughter died down.

"Wait... what?!" he asked in shock.  
"Sephiroth, I am your father. And Lucrecia here is your mother." Hojo replied before stroking the crystal.  
"What? I thought that Jenova was my mother! You said that Jenova was my mother!" Sephiroth exclaimed. Hojo took his hand off of the crystal and walked towards his son.  
"I lied to you. I didn't want you to look for her, so I told you a lie." Hojo replied. Sephiroth couldn't believe his ears. The very thought that the walking mass of complexes had been his father all along and that he had been lied to his whole life was more than he could take. Hojo connected an instrument of some sort to the crystal and fired it up. After a few seconds, the crystal began to glow an unnatural blue and then it began to fade away until the woman inside fell out of her crystal stasis.

Hojo turned the device off and placed it in his pocket before holding the woman in his arms. Sephiroth just stood in shock. He couldn't do or say anything. Hojo looked up at Sephiroth.  
"Sephiroth. Come." Hojo instructed and then looked back down to the woman named Lucrecia. The brunette stirred silently as Sephiroth knelt down by her side. She began to groan and then opened her eyes slowly. Hojo reached out to touch her face and kissed her forehead. Her eyes fully opened and she reached out to her husband's face.  
"Hojo?" she asked wearily.  
"It's me." He replied. She smiled and she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Sephiroth looked around the cavern to take his mind off of the little reunion that took place next to him. The light from the crystals danced around the cavern and reflected off of the little pools of water that had collected over the years.  
"You've always wanted to meet your son, yes?" Sephiroth heard Hojo ask.  
"Yeah. But that never happened. I never even saw photos of him or even held him at birth. How could you keep him from me?" Lucrecia asked. Hojo sighed.  
"I needed to..."  
"No! He's our son! He doesn't need to be tested at every second of the day!" Lucrecia retorted, cutting Hojo off.  
"Please don't fight in front of me." Sephiroth said. Lucrecia turned to him and just stared at him in doubt. She then turned back to Hojo.  
"Who's this?" she asked.  
"This is our son." Hojo replied. She gasped and turned back to Sephiroth.  
"You're joking, right?" she asked in disbelief.  
"No, I'm not. This is our son, Sephiroth." He replied.  
"You had to name him after the project, didn't you? Why couldn't his name be normal? Like Devin, or Jacob, or Kyle?" She asked and whacked Hojo on the back of the head.  
"I actually like it." Sephiroth replied. Hojo helped Lucrecia stand and Sephiroth stood with them.  
"Oh, I wouldn't change you for the world! Come here!" She exclaimed and pulled Sephiroth into a motherly hug.  
"Why is she so happy? I'm feared all around Gaia, and yet she's happy to see me?" Sephiroth asked with a confused chuckle.  
"I knew you would do evil things. I knew before you were born. And yet, I never stopped loving you. You're my son, why would I change you? You're perfect, despite your flaws." Lucrecia replied and almost tried to squeeze the life out of Sephiroth. Lucrecia then pulled Hojo into the hug.

"This is awkward." Sephiroth stated and the family broke away. Lucrecia pinched Sephiroth's cheek and laughed.  
"Aw, how old are you now, sweetie?" she asked with a high pitch.  
"I'm physically twenty five." He replied.  
"What do you mean by physically?" she asked, still holding on to her son's cheek.  
"I spent... seven years in stasis and one in the Lifestream." Sephiroth replied.  
"Oh! My little boy's all grown up!" Lucrecia exclaimed and pinched his cheek a little harder. Hojo laughed at Sephiroth's expression. It was one of pure embarrassment.  
"Mother, please. Let go of my cheek!" Sephiroth exclaimed and tapped her hand.  
"Fine." She replied calmly and let his cheek go, leaving Sephiroth to rub it.  
"Has my little boy had his first date yet?" Lucrecia asked. Sephiroth buried his face in his hands and was thankful for the fact that Cloud and his posse weren't here to witness his embarrassment.  
"Mother! I'm not a little boy!" Sephiroth exclaimed. Hojo continued to chuckle.  
"Nope. He's been too busy training." Hojo replied. Lucrecia gasped.  
"He hasn't gone on his first date? Oh, you poor thing!" Lucrecia exclaimed and hugged Sephiroth again.  
"But, when he was the famous SOLDIER hero, he had multiple fan groups. The most hardcore of them being the Silver Elite." Hojo said.  
"Ooh! Were any of them cute?" Lucrecia asked.  
"Mother! No! They were creeps and lunatics!" Sephiroth replied with a slight red tinge to his cheeks. She looked a little disappointed.  
"Besides, I still haven't met a girl who's caught my eye yet..." Sephiroth said.  
"What kind of girl are you looking for?" Hojo asked.  
"I don't know. I'll know her when I meet her." Sephiroth replied.

Lucrecia let go of Sephiroth and fixed his bangs.  
"Ho... father. Please tell her to stop!" Sephiroth exclaimed. Hojo held Lucrecia's arms by her side and kissed her cheek.  
"Hon... He's embarrassed. Leave him be." Hojo said. Lucrecia shook her head.  
"Nope. I missed out on twenty five years of his life! I am not going to stop babying him! No matter how old he is, he's still my little boy!" Lucrecia replied. Hojo laughed and then released her. She began to fix his hair again and Sephiroth tried to get her to stop.  
"Mother! Please, stop!" Sephiroth begged. Lucrecia scooped up his hair and held it up, trying to picture him without his luscious silver locks. She let his hair go and continued to fix it.  
"I think he needs to cut his hair." Lucrecia stated.  
"No." Sephiroth replied directly after the words left her mouth.  
"Oh, but you would look so much nicer without it!" she chirped. Hojo shook his head.  
"He won't change his mind. I've had his friends try and talk him into cutting it, but he won't. He's stubborn like hell!" Hojo exclaimed. Lucrecia chuckled.  
"I know where he gets it from." She laughed and flicked Hojo's hair back. Sephiroth turned and tried to leave the cavern.  
"Ah! Where are you going, mister?" Lucrecia asked sternly. Sephiroth sighed and turned to face his parents.  
"I'm getting out of this cave." He replied and went to leave. Lucrecia pulled Hojo along and they joined their son in his quest to look for an exit.

After a lot of poking around in the caves, they saw light at the end of the tunnel. As soon as Sephiroth stepped out into the sunshine and closed his eyes, he sighed and let out a smile.  
"It's good to be outside!" Lucrecia exclaimed and Hojo sighed with frustration.  
"It sickens me." Hojo replied. She slapped him on the arm.  
"Oh stop it!" she exclaimed. He rubbed his arm and pouted. Lucrecia walked up to her son and smiled.  
"He's a bit like us, you know. He used to be curious about the world around him and he never left on assignment without at least having a sense of what he's up against." Hojo said. Sephiroth opened his eyes to find his mother playing with his hair.  
"At least tie it up." Lucrecia said.  
"Tie what up?" he asked.  
"Your hair! You'd look so much better with off your face." She replied.  
"No." He said and closed his eyes again, trying to soak up the sunshine. A demonic growl came from the close distance and Sephiroth's cat like eyes immediately opened. He drew out Masamune and held it out to the direction of the growl. Lucrecia gasped and stepped back into Sephiroth.  
"Heel!" Hojo called and the 'Strikers' ceased to advance on his son and his wife.  
"Shoo!" Hojo exclaimed and they flounced away. Lucrecia sighed and Sephiroth put his blade away.  
"I'm so sorry. I never should have invented those beasts." Hojo said with a shake of his head.  
"Why are they attacking us but not you?" Lucrecia asked.  
"Because we have Jenova cells and he doesn't." Sephiroth replied.  
"It was a mistake. I accidentally programmed then to track down Pulse l'Cie and those with Jenova's cells." Hojo replied.  
"What's a Pulse l'Cie?" Sephiroth asked. Lucrecia placed her hand on her son's arm and sighed.  
"You don't need to know just as yet. Come on. Let's go back to Nibelheim." Lucrecia replied and led the way.  
"Why Nibelheim?" Sephiroth asked.  
"It's your hometown silly!" she replied.  
"So, I burned down not only my enemy's hometown, or his friend's hometown, but my own? Ugh, I have a headache." Sephiroth said and reached for his temples. Hojo laughed and caught up with his wife, only to have their son trail after them, massaging his temples.


	3. Chapter 3

When the full moon fell and the sun rose, Cloud woke up on the floor of his room, looking completely normal. He got up and looked into the mirror. His electric blue eyes had turned into a pupil less purple. He sighed and checked the walls. Eleven names were crossed out. He sighed again and left his bedroom for the first time in ages. Yuffie jumped up off of her seat and hugged Cloud. When she let him go, she woke everyone else up.  
"Cloud's ok! He's here!" she exclaimed and everyone crowded him. Barrett flicked his brunette spikes and laughed.  
"Oh dear, he's losing his blondeness!" Barrett laughed. Everyone laughed except for Cloud. He was the only one that knew about his condition.  
"I have to leave." Cloud announced.  
"You are not going back in your room!" Cid exclaimed and pulled him back downstairs.  
"No, I'm leaving for Nibelheim. It would be better if I was home." Cloud replied. The room fell silent as Cloud trudged upstairs to pack his belongings.  
"Something's up." Yuffie said.  
"Ya couldn't state the unpredictable, lass! We know something's up!" Cath Sith exclaimed.  
"Yuffie's right. He's become sinister. Like, 'hey I'm a serial killer and I will stab your ass to death!' kind of sinister." Barrett said.  
"Yeah, no shit." Cid said and took a sip of his tea.  
"What do you suppose is up?" Yuffie asked.

Cloud cut his arm and crossed out the remaining names, all of which were downstairs, save for Hojo. The wound healed quickly and he headed downstairs with his fusion blade.  
"I'm ready." He said and swung the blade behind his back, letting it sit on his shoulder.  
"We'll see you off." Barrett replied. The others got up and went to leave Seventh Heaven.  
"Wait. I have something to give you." Cloud said, his purple eyes glinting with the idea of bloodshed.  
"What? Is it materia?" Yuffie asked.  
"No, your demise!" Cloud snarled, pulled out his fusion blade and struck down his comrades.

* * *

"Welcome home!" Lucrecia chirped as Hojo unlocked the door and let his family into the house.  
"This was the house you were conceived in." Hojo said. Sephiroth wondered in and shut the door behind him. Even though winter had arrived and the house was cold, it held the warmth of a family home. There was even a fireplace. Lucrecia shivered and sat on the couch. She turned around to face her son.  
"Aren't you cold?" she asked.  
"Not really." Sephiroth replied.  
"That's because you're cold and ruthless. Like me!" Hojo chirped. Sephiroth shivered at the thought of being like his father.  
"I knew you were cold!" Lucrecia exclaimed and trudged upstairs.

She came downstairs a second later with a fuzzy blue blanket. She threw it onto the couch and then sat back down.  
"Hojo, could you start the fire?" Lucrecia asked.  
"I'll do it." Sephiroth replied and sat down at the fireplace. She pulled him up and led him over to the couch.  
"Uh uh. No. You will sit here, in this blanket and relax." Lucrecia said and wrapped the blue blanket around him. Hojo rolled his eyes at his overprotective wife. Hojo sighed and started the fire whilst Lucrecia sat with her son and twirled his hair around her fingers.  
"I still think you should cut your hair." Lucrecia stated.  
"And the answer is still no." Sephiroth replied. She shook her head at him and kissed his cheek.  
"Mother! No!" Sephiroth exclaimed.  
"Oh, live with it! Every mother baby's her child every once in a while!" she replied and laughed. Sephiroth sighed and then lay back against the couch, staring at the ceiling.

Lucrecia stood up and then wondered into the kitchen. Hojo then sat down next to Sephiroth and placed his hand on his son's shoulder.  
"Remember, you're our only child. Of course she is going to be overprotective of you, because she's never seen you until now. Just dealt with it Sephiroth." Hojo said. Sephiroth groaned.  
"Is it going to last much longer?" he asked.  
"Nope! I've got twenty five years to catch up on!" Lucrecia exclaimed. Sephiroth threw his head back and groaned again. Lucrecia laughed and Hojo stood up and wondered over to her. He took her into his arms and began to kiss her neck.  
"Get a room!" Sephiroth exclaimed and his parents turned to glare at him. Hojo took her hand and led her upstairs. Sephiroth sighed and smiled. Serenity and silence. The only noise he heard in the living room was the soothing crackling of the fire. He lay down on the couch with the blanket still wrapped around his shoulders. He stared at the fire and how each individual colour wove into another in graceful tongues of heat and little wisps of smoke. His eyelids soon became too heavy for him to keep them open and closed them, soon drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

Lucrecia and Hojo wondered downstairs after thirty minutes upstairs. She saw her son fast asleep on the couch and couldn't help but to smile.  
"I'm glad he's asleep. It's too much to take in one day." Lucrecia said. Hojo wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.  
"I love you." Hojo whispered.  
"I love you too." She replied quietly before pressing her lips against his.

* * *

Cloud smiled as he breathed in the Nibelheim air. He was home, finally. It took him over five days to get himself there. And over three hundred killings along the way. Cloud smiled as the thought of causing a lot of bloodshed here in Nibelheim crossed his mind. He realised that causing terror is so much more fun than saving people from it.

He entered the town square and smiled. There were so many new targets to choose from. So much more havoc to be caused. Cloud had noticed that since becoming one of the wolves, the wolves followed his orders and didn't attack him at all. He chuckled at the thought of using Hojo's own weapons against him and continued to wonder the dusty country town.

Children played in the square and pretended to be warriors in a war. Cloud chuckled and one of the children turned around. He looked surprisingly familiar to Denzel. Cloud gasped silently and the child turned back around to his friends.  
"Wow! Guys! Check it out! It's Cloud from the news!" the child exclaimed and pointed to the spiky haired brunette. The way the child spoke sent shivers down Cloud's spine. The child was too much like Denzel. His friends ran over and they gasped in awe.  
"Wow! An actual hero!" one of the girls exclaimed. She had a bubbly personality, just like Tifa's.  
"But he's hair is brown!" one of the other boys exclaimed.  
"Yeah, I dyed it. The blonde kind of got too old." Cloud lied. The children gasped in awe again.

Cloud then thought of a brilliant idea.  
"Say, do like to explore?" Cloud asked with a smile. The child who was like Denzel began to get excited.  
"Do I what!" He replied with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.  
"Would you and your friends care to explore Mount Nibel with me?" Cloud asked. Their eyes lit up and they nodded. Cloud smiled again, his purple eyes glinting in pleasure.  
"Great, let's go. Don't worry, you'll be home before it gets dark." Cloud replied. The children nodded again and Cloud led them to the Mako reactor where Cloud murdered them.

* * *

Lucrecia slowly opened the door to her son's bedroom and walked quietly into his room. She placed her hand on his shoulder.  
"Sephiroth. Wake up. It's morning." Lucrecia cooed and gently shook his shoulder. Sephiroth groaned, took a pillow from underneath his head and covered his head with it.  
"Sephiroth, please get up. You can't do this every morning." Lucrecia said with a harder tone.  
"No... Let me sleep." He groaned in reply. She shook her head at him and sighed.  
"You have to get up sometime!" Lucrecia exclaimed. Sephiroth removed the pillow from his head and sat up.  
"Happy? I'm up!" Sephiroth replied.  
"Don't use that tone with me mister!" Lucrecia exclaimed in warning. Sephiroth sighed and slid out of bed. He rubbed his eyes as his mother hugged him.  
"Good. Now come get some breakfast." She said releasing him from her hug and then pinched his cheek.  
"Mother!" He groaned. She giggled and let his cheek go before exiting his bedroom.

He trudged down the stairs and sat on the couch before yawning.  
"I think you need to do something with your time, because all you do is sleep!" Hojo exclaimed from behind the stove.  
"Yeah, but come on. I rarely sleep in." Sephiroth groaned. Hojo rolled his eyes and continued to cook. Sephiroth's tired eyes suddenly widened as he smelt something delicious wafting from the kitchen.  
"Ooh, something smells good." He said, now that he was a little more awake.  
"Your favourite." Hojo replied. A smile lit up Sephiroth's face.  
"Chocolate pancakes?" He asked.  
"Uh huh, and vanilla ice-cream." Lucrecia replied, pulling the ice-cream out of the freezer.  
"Oh, I feel so spoilt!" Sephiroth exclaimed and wondered into the kitchen.  
"Worth waking up for?" Lucrecia asked.  
"Please, if I knew this was for breakfast, I probably wouldn't have slept in." Sephiroth chuckled in reply. Hojo smiled at his son's response.  
"Chocolate trumps all!" Hojo exclaimed.  
"I have to agree." Sephiroth said. Lucrecia smiled and hugged Sephiroth again.  
"I'm glad you two like chocolate, because I do too!" Lucrecia replied and kissed her son's cheek. Hojo placed three plates stacked with chocolate pancakes on the kitchen bench. Sephiroth opened the ice-cream and piled three scoops onto his plate. Lucrecia gasped at the amount of ice-cream he had put onto his plate.  
"Is that all for you?" she asked with a cheeky smile. Sephiroth nodded with a grin and began to eat.  
"Hojo, he has three scoops of ice-cream for himself!" Lucrecia exclaimed. Hojo turned the stove off and headed for the bench.  
"He may be cold and ruthless, but all that sugar makes him sweet! Occasionally..." Hojo replied.  
"Much like you." Lucrecia said and kissed her husband.  
"Excuse me, but I'm eating here!" Sephiroth exclaimed and the couple pulled away. Sephiroth rolled his eyes at his parents and continued to eat his pancakes and ice-cream.  
"You cheeky boy!" Hojo exclaimed and Sephiroth chuckled in reply.

"Did you hear what happened last night? Ten children went missing. They're sending out search parties now." Lucrecia said.  
"I hope they find them." Hojo replied. Sephiroth polished off the rest of his breakfast and headed upstairs. He picked up Masamune, put on his coat and headed back downstairs.  
"Where are you going?" Hojo asked. Sephiroth stood at the door and turned back to his parents.  
"I'm going to help find the missing children." Sephiroth replied.  
"Now, Sephiroth..."  
"Be careful, sweetheart." Lucrecia said, cutting off her husband.  
"Thanks, I'll be back soon." Sephiroth replied with a smile and left the house.  
"What was that for?" Hojo asked.  
"It seems he's beginning to right his wrongs." Lucrecia replied with a hopeful smile.

The town square was buzzing with life when Sephiroth arrived. The parents of the missing children were either crying or instructing the search parties. Suddenly, it all fell quiet as the townspeople turned to face Sephiroth. Their faces expressed either fear or dread, both of which he was used to seeing.  
"Where where they last seen?" He asked. The townsfolk stayed silent. He sighed. Sephiroth had a feeling that nobody would trust him. Besides, he had a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach that he knew where the children might be.  
"You five come with me. I want to check something out on Mount Nibel." Sephiroth said and then turned in the direction of the mountain. He couldn't hear any footsteps behind him and when he turned around, the townsfolk stayed in their places as they did before.  
"Fine, I'll go myself." Sephiroth replied and then wondered to the base of the mountain trail. But this time when he turned, the group of five he had picked followed him.  
"If what you say is true, how do we know you didn't do it?" one of the villagers asked.  
"I know for a fact that I didn't do it. But, we will ask them when we find them for their account." Sephiroth replied.  
"But what if they're dead?" another townsperson asked.  
"I will know what did it by one glance. I can guarantee that it wouldn't be me." Sephiroth replied.  
"Then lead the way." The female in the group said. Sephiroth nodded his head and led the group up to the Mako reactor.

Despite the very few 'Striker' attacks, Mount Nibel was almost robbed of its natural wildlife. As soon as the Mako reactor came into view, Sephiroth could feel the change in atmosphere.  
"Something's not right." He said. He led them closer to the reactor to survey the outside. Suddenly, the only woman in the group screamed and the rest of them ran towards her. She was teary eyed, whimpering and shivering. She pointed in front of her and she fainted into another townsperson's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

Only one stumbled up the hill and then he fell when he reached the top. Sephiroth hurried to his side and pulled him away from the edge. The child had claw marks down his arms and a huge gash across his cheek, looking as if it came from a chunky blade. Sephiroth came down to the child's level and saw the fear on his bloodied face.  
"Can you tell me what happened?" Sephiroth asked. The child whimpered.  
"I'm not going to hurt you. Please tell me what happened." Sephiroth said. The child stopped whimpering and then took a deep breath.  
"We were playing in the town square and then Cloud Strife showed up. Except he was brown haired and had purple eyes. He asked us if we wanted to go exploring Mount Nibel. So we did and he attacked us. The others are dead. But the bodies are gone." The boy explained. The fear and sorrow in the boy's brown eyes were enough to tell Sephiroth that this was no joke. The townsfolk gasped in shock. Cloud Strife was the last person to go killing innocent kids on anyone's minds, including Sephiroth's. He stood up and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.  
"Let's get you home and those wounds cleaned." Sephiroth said and the boy smiled back at him.

When the group were back in Nibelheim, the boy's parents were overjoyed to see him. They kissed and hugged him. But the other parents were wondering what happened to their children. Hojo and Lucrecia were in the crowd, watching and waiting for the parties to return with the missing children.  
"Tell them what you told us." Sephiroth said and the boy nodded before retelling the story exactly like he had before.  
"That is exactly what he told us." The woman replied. There was murmuring amongst the crowd. Lucrecia and the boy's mother took the boy back to his house to disinfect his wounds and to calm him down.  
"Good work, my boy." Hojo said and slapped Sephiroth on the back when the crowd dispersed.  
"I wonder if the news has anything similar to what happened." Sephiroth said aloud and wondered to the library.

* * *

He sat down at the table and read the newspapers from a few days ago. Sephiroth took notes on what he found and then headed home to piece it all together. He sat on the couch and looked over his notes. Hojo sat next to the studying Sephiroth and turned the news on.  
"And the killings have risen to three hundred and thirty people today. It has been reported that nine children were murdered last night in Nibelheim by the killer. Many suggest that the notorious Sephiroth is back again, but scientists have analysed the bodies of Cloud Strife's allies and they had this to say." The news anchor said and then the screen moved to a Shinra scientist surrounded by cameras.  
"Two of the bodies were covered with scratches and punctures around the wrists, ankles and necks. The other bodies were a combination of the wounds with wounds that could only be caused by a relatively thick edged weapon. Because of this evidence, Sephiroth isn't the person responsible." The scientist said.  
"Yeah, no shit!" Sephiroth retorted and continued to make the connections with the news and his notes. Hojo turned to his son with his mouth opened wide.  
"If your mother heard that, you would be in serious trouble. I don't want to hear that word from your mouth again." Hojo said and then turned back to the television. Sephiroth rolled his eyes at his father and tried to come up with a conclusion.

After a few days, the killer had taken over a thousand lives in the surrounding areas. Sephiroth had been working around the town, trying to search for the killer's possible hiding places and escorting farmers when they had to leave town to cultivate their produce. Sephiroth sat at home and piled his notes together. After going through his notes again, it clicked. Sephiroth knew who it was. The thick blade pretty much gave it away, but the news showed a profile of the killer's face and that was all Sephiroth needed to confirm his hypothesis. He wrote the name on the piece of paper and circled it.  
"It's Cloud." Sephiroth concluded. Hojo muted the television and turned to his son.  
"How do you know that?" Hojo asked.  
"Don't you get it? The boy saw an altered version of Cloud and all of Cloud's friends are dead. This means that something must have happened for him to go mental and kill people like this." Sephiroth explained.  
"You lost me, boy." Hojo replied.  
"But I know exactly what he's talking about." A familiar voice taunted. Sephiroth grasped the hilt of his blade that rested on the ground and turned to find a dark haired man with fully purple eyes stand in the doorway.  
"Good to see you... Sephiroth." Cloud smirked.  
"Cloud!" Sephiroth hissed.

Cloud snickered and sauntered into the house. He eyed both the father and the son carefully.  
"Father, go. I'll handle him." Sephiroth whispered. Hojo shook his head.  
"Go!" he exclaimed quietly. Hojo sighed and left the house through the back door. It was just Cloud and Sephiroth.  
"So you've been killing?" Sephiroth asked.  
"Yes. I can see why you loved it so much." Cloud smirked.  
"I didn't love it. I was following orders." Sephiroth replied. Cloud wondered over to the couch and held Sephiroth's face in his hands.

"Teach me to kill like you do. To kill ruthlessly and harshly. To torture the opponent and to mess with their minds. Teach me all you know." Cloud instructed. Sephiroth pulled Cloud's hands off of his face and stood up. He loomed over the twisted hero and Cloud didn't seem to mind a bit. Cloud jumped over the couch and pushed Sephiroth back down onto the couch. Sephiroth gripped the hilt of Masamune tightly, ready to strike if the need called for it. Cloud sat on Sephiroth and pinned his shoulders to the couch. Sephiroth saw the lifelessness in Cloud's eyes. The whole pupil took up his eye, making it look as if he had no pupil at all. It was as if the more he killed, the less human he became.

"Let our bodies merge into one. We'll share our combined power and take over the world, together." Cloud whispered into Sephiroth's ear before moving his hair and licking the one-winged angel's neck.  
"I want to hear you groan with pleasure." Cloud said and kissed his neck. Sephiroth's rage built up inside of him. He could feel his muscles tensing, as if they were getting ready to turn the tables on Cloud and rip him to shreds.  
"Get off me." Sephiroth instructed. Cloud stopped kissing his neck and stared into his eyes with a crazed expression.  
"Now that's not groaning in pleasure. Maybe I need to be more forceful." Cloud replied and licked the surface of his teeth before trying to kiss Sephiroth. Sephiroth turned his head to try and avoid Cloud's 'forceful' methods. Sephiroth found a weak spot in Cloud's grip and smiled.

Sephiroth dropped the Masamune by Cloud's side and then pinned Cloud to the couch.  
"Change of plans." Sephiroth said with a vicious snarl.  
"You want to be the big bad angel in the relationship? Fine by me..." Cloud replied and then stroked Sephiroth's abdominals. This only made Sephiroth angrier, but it pleased Cloud.  
"Baby, you feel good." Cloud said and kissed Sephiroth's chest. Sephiroth reached for the Masamune at the side of the couch, but Cloud felt the change in his centre of gravity and stopped kissing his torso.  
"Baby? What are you doing?" Cloud asked and went to look in the direction of Masamune.

Desperate to keep Cloud unaware of what was happening, he sat up and removed his coat. Cloud stared at Sephiroth's lean body and then began to lick his abs. Cloud then leant back onto the couch and pulled Sephiroth down on top of him.  
"Come on, moan already!" Cloud exclaimed and then kissed Sephiroth's chest. Sephiroth gave it one more try. He reached for Masamune and then grabbed it before moving back. Cloud didn't notice that time and continued to kiss Sephiroth's torso. Cloud stopped kissing his chest and then came face to face with the angel.

"Baby, why haven't we gone there yet?" Cloud asked with a pout. Sephiroth sat up on Cloud and smiled.  
"Because I need to give you something first." He said. Cloud laughed and then ran his hands down Sephiroth's body.  
"What would that be? Ooh, is it something that feels good?" Cloud asked with a flirty wink. Sephiroth's spine tingled with disgust. Cloud then removed his own shirt and then pulled Sephiroth back down onto his own body.  
"Oh, your body feels good against mine." Cloud moaned. Sephiroth angrily sighed and gripped Masamune all the tighter. He sat up again and Cloud sighed.

"I still have to give you something." Sephiroth smiled.  
"What?" Cloud asked and then licked Sephiroth's abs.  
"Your demise." Sephiroth replied. He pulled the psychotic male's hair and sliced his head off of his neck. Sephiroth sighed when it was over.  
"Worst experience ever. I hope that's the last time someone tries to rape me." Sephiroth sighed and leant against the couch. Hojo and Lucrecia walked in at that moment to find their son covered in blood, holding his enemy's head in one hand and Masamune in the other. Lucrecia screamed and Hojo was speechless.

"It's not what it looks like!" Sephiroth exclaimed. Hojo folded his arms across his chest and shook his head.  
"Get cleaned up and go to your room. We'll clean up this mess and deal with you later." Hojo replied and pointed upstairs. Sephiroth tossed the head onto the couch and picked up his coat before heading upstairs to take a shower. Lucrecia began to cry.  
"It's happening again! Our little boy's evil." She sniffled before crying into Hojo's shoulder. He looked up at the camera on the ceiling and smiled.  
"Maybe, he was telling the truth." Hojo said and brought her over to the computer where they watched the scene that had unfolded moments ago.

Sephiroth sat in his room and thought about the day's events. Cloud's words replayed in his head, over and over again.  
"Let our bodies merge into one. We'll share our combined power and take over the world, together." Those words made his stomach churn and his mind panic. He rubbed his temples and hoped that it was all an illusion. There was a knock at his door.  
"Come in." He said weakly.  
"Sephiroth, we need to talk." A strangely familiar voice said. Sephiroth sat up and looked in the direction of his bedroom door. In the doorway stood Lucrecia, Hojo, two security guards and a blonde man wielding a shotgun. It was Rufus Shinra.

"Uh, sure." Sephiroth replied unsurely.  
"Please come downstairs." Rufus said and the group followed him downstairs. He stood at the computer and called Sephiroth to the monitor.  
"Is this you and Cloud Strife?" Rufus asked. He replayed the scene and the tingling sensation in Sephiroth's spine came back and it made him feel nauseous.  
"Yes." He replied.  
"Are you in a sexual relationship with Cloud Strife?" Rufus asked.  
"No! Shit no! There is no way in hell that I would ever be in a sexual relationship with Cloud Strife!" Sephiroth exclaimed.  
"Sephiroth! Mind your language!" Lucrecia yelled. Rufus stopped the replay and then turned back to Sephiroth.

"We've been trying to exterminate Cloud Strife ever since the killings began. Our scientists found that it was him due to an autopsy of his first victim. You have saved the lives of many civilians just by killing him. Sephiroth, we owe you our thanks. And if you wish, you may rejoin SOLDIER. Your fans have been waiting for you to turn back into the hero. So, what do you say? Will you join SOLDIER again?" Rufus asked. Sephiroth turned to his parents and they nodded. He smiled knowing that he had their full support.  
"I'd love to rejoin SOLDIER again." Sephiroth replied.  
"Excellent! You will have to go through a bunch of standard tests and then, you may continue working with us again." Rufus said.


	5. Chapter 5

"Ok, listen up! As you all know, Sanctum and Shinra are now allies. Shinra will be sending their elite to Cocoon to introduce them to the ally. Sergeant Farron, you will be the tour guide." Lieutenant Amodar said. Lightning sighed. "Why me?" she asked and folded her arms across her chest. "Because, I said so. Besides, you're the only girl in the Regiment. You wouldn't mind having him in your house, do you?" Amodar asked in reply. "I guess not. And NORA have been monster hunting. Again." Lightning replied. "Charming. Now you need to be on your best behaviour, all of you. Am I making myself clear?" Amodar asked. "Sir, yes, sir." The regiment replied in sync.

"Sergeant Farron, over here." Amodar said and Lightning walked towards him as the group returned to their posts. "Yes, Lieutenant?" Lightning asked. "Just to let you know, he will be staying for thirteen days and you have to do as he says." Amodar replied. Lightning placed her hand on her hip and frowned. "Great... looking forward to being some dickhead's slut." Lightning said with a sour tone. "You better not act like this when he's here. Oh, and he'll be here tomorrow. Dismissed." Amodar replied with a scowl and left with some of the others. Lightning shook her head and returned to her post.

Serah wondered over to her to her sister just as her shift finished. "I hear that we are having a guest!" Serah chirped. Lightning folded her arms and stayed silent. "Oh, don't be silly Lightning! Maybe he'll be the kind of guy you've been waiting for, who knows?" Serah asked with a smile. Lightning sighed and stared at her sister. "No. He'll be some kind of stuck up idiot that orders me around like I'm his maid or something." Lightning replied before turning to go home. Serah wondered after her sister, occasionally running in order to catch up with her. "Lightning, you and I both know that it won't be that bad." Serah smiled.

"Yeah, you keep telling me that when you bring up this Snow guy that you've been dating. Serah, are you sure you want to date a reckless idiot?" Lightning asked as she unlocked the front door. "Yes, because he loves me and I love him!" Serah replied with a skip to her step. Lightning rolled her eyes at her sister and wondered inside, closing the door after herself. She sat down on the couch and switched on the television. Lightning stood behind the couch as she watched the news updates.

"Uh, Serah? Why are you watching the Midgar news?" Lightning asked her younger sister. "Because, there's this guy who used to be a famous hero and then he turned evil and now he's a famous hero again! Look!" Serah replied and pointed to the screen. A tall man with silver locks and cat like green eyes appeared on the screen. "What's his name?" Lightning asked. "Sephiroth." She replied. Her phone beeped and she jumped happily in her seat. "Ooh! A text!" Serah exclaimed and picked up her phone. "Is from the boyfriend?" Lightning asked with a roll of her eyes. "No, it's the Silver Elite! The most hardcore Sephiroth fan club!" Serah replied and then gasped. "Look at that photo! He's hot!" Serah exclaimed and held her phone up to Lightning, almost whacking her in the face with it. Lightning took the phone out of her little sister's hand and studied the picture closely. "Damn, he is hot. Better than what's around here." Lightning replied and handed Serah's phone back to her.

"Oh yeah he is!" Serah exclaimed. "Give me some details." Lightning said and then she turned to her sister. "He's twenty five and single. His weapon's name is Masamune and his ultimate attack is Supernova. He had two friends when he was first in SOLDIER, but then they all left to do evil things. His favourite food is chocolate pancakes. And, he uses one bottle of shampoo and conditioner daily." Serah replied. "And your boyfriend's name is?" Lightning asked. "...Snow Villiers." Serah replied, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red. "Right. And does he know about your celebrity crush?" Lightning asked. "No." Serah replied with a shake of her head. "For shame." Lightning said and wondered towards the guest bedroom.

"Light? What are you doing?" Serah asked. "I'm preparing the guest bedroom for our guest. He's coming tomorrow." Lightning replied and then walked into the room. Lightning tidied everything up and made everything look presentable before heading out into the kitchen. Lightning groaned when she found that the dishes from last night had not been done. "Serah! Clean up your crap after you cook please! It makes my job easier!" Lightning exclaimed at her sister. "Hey! I can't clean and you can't cook! Fair's fair!" Serah retorted before gasping at the image of Sephiroth on her phone. Lightning sighed and shook her head before cleaning up the mess her sister had made.

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Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door. "Come in." Sephiroth replied and Lucrecia opened the door and closed it behind her. She sat on his bed with a little bag in her hands. "Mother? What's all this about?" Sephiroth asked. She smiled and then hugged her son. "I'm going to miss you!" She exclaimed and then let him go. "And, I think that you might need these. For your future endeavours." Lucrecia said and then gave Sephiroth the bag. He pulled out two boxes and looked at them, not sure what they were meant for. Lucrecia opened the both of them and Sephiroth couldn't believe what he saw.

Inside one box was a silver bracelet encrusted with a yellow stone and inside the other, was a silver ring with a yellow stone and a diamond. "They were your grandmother's. Your grandfather had these made for her. Pure thundaga materia. Back then, pure materia was plentiful. I want you to have them." Lucrecia said and then handed the boxes back to Sephiroth. "What would I do with them?" he asked in confusion. "The ring was your grandmother's engagement ring. And he had the bracelet made for her birthday. If that helps." Lucrecia replied. Sephiroth was still a little confused. Lucrecia rolled her eyes and then pushed her son's shoulder. "You have to settle down sometime!" Lucrecia exclaimed. "Oh, I get it." Sephiroth replied with a cheeky smile and then they both laughed.

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Lightning stood at the post the next day. She watched the sun's light glitter on the surface of the water as the citizens continued about their everyday business. Out of nowhere, Amodar wondered up to Lightning with whom she presumed as the special guest. "Sephiroth, this is your tour guide, Sergeant Farron." Amodar said and pointed to Lightning. She held her hand out to him. "Just call me Lightning." She replied with a smile. Sephiroth took her hand and kissed it. "Enchanted." Sephiroth said. Lightning almost felt as if her heart was beginning to melt. She chuckled nervously. There was something about his voice that just clawed at her soul and tugged at her heart's strings.

Sephiroth just stared into Lightning's ice blue eyes and tired to hold back a sigh. She was nothing like the women back in Gaia and that intrigued him. Amodar laughed to try and break the silence. "Well, I'd better let you two get better acquainted." He said and slapped Sephiroth on the back before heading off. After he had left, there was an awkward silence. Finally, Lightning decided to speak up. "Come with me. I'd better show you where you'll be staying for the duration of your stay." Lightning said and then turned towards the beach. She looked back at the dark warrior and placed her hand on her hip. "You coming?" she asked before turning around again and leading the way to her house.

After showing Sephiroth to his room, Lightning showed him around town. She stopped before a clear dome and waited for Sephiroth to catch up. He saw the sun glittering on the sea and it reminded him of Costa del Sol. It also reminded him of the friends he once had and then lost. He sighed and then caught up with the impatiently waiting soldier. "In ten days time, Bodhum will be crowded with people from all over Cocoon." Lightning said. "Why?" Sephiroth asked. "The annual Bodhum fireworks. There's a legend that if you wish on these fireworks, it will come true." Lightning replied.

They then headed over to the bar on the beach which Lebreau, a member of NORA ran. After spending two hours chatting and drinking coffee, Sephiroth and Lightning became great friends. "Hey, I challenge you to an arm wrestling match." Lightning said. Sephiroth shook his head. "You're nothing like the girls back home... And I accept. If I win, you have to... kiss me and then go on a date with me tonight." Sephiroth replied. "And if I win, you must... hmm... take off your coat and convince my sister Serah that you're gay." Lightning replied. Sephiroth couldn't help but to let out a laugh. Just the sound of his voice made Lightning's heart liquefy. "It's on." Sephiroth laughed and placed his elbow on the table. Lightning put her own elbow on the table and clutched his hand. "Ready?" Sephiroth asked with a smirk. "Go!" Lightning replied and then the contest of strength began.

Lightning struggled to keep her arm up and he pinned her arm to the table. Lightning frowned and Sephiroth chuckled. "Best two out of three?" Sephiroth asked with a cheeky smile. Lightning nodded and they reset their contest. This time, Lightning beat Sephiroth. She smiled and then chuckled. "We're even." She replied. For one final time, they reset their contest and it became a fight to the finish. Suddenly, Lightning's hand hit the table. She sighed in defeat and he chuckled with victory. "Best three out of four?" Sephiroth asked with a raised eyebrow. Lightning shook her head but tried to hide her smile. "No. I'll accept defeat." She replied and then got up out of her chair.

She sat on Sephiroth's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Any requests?" Lightning asked with a flirty smile. Sephiroth chuckled. "Are you serious?" He asked. "Dead serious." Lightning replied. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around her waist and ran his hands up her back. Sephiroth shrugged and then kissed her neck. "Surprise me." He said. Lightning sighed and then lifted Sephiroth's chin. She pressed her lips up against his. She bit his lower lip three times before curling her tongue around his. Sephiroth sighed as her hands tousled his luscious silver locks.

Serah happened to come into the bar and spotted her sister kissing Sephiroth. She gasped and then stormed over to their table. "Lightning, you slut!" Serah exclaimed and pushed her off of Sephiroth's lap. Serah then sat down on his lap and stroked the side of his head. "Hey there, sexy." Serah chirped. Lightning got off of the floor before pushing her sister off of his lap and pulling him up into her arms. "And you call me the slut?" she asked before pressing her lips up against Sephiroth's. Serah pulled Lightning off of Sephiroth and slapped her. "He needs to be single! Think of all his fans!" Serah exclaimed. Lightning sighed and then turned to Sephiroth. "I'm sorry about my sister. She's a big fan..." Lightning replied sadly before turning back to Serah and slapping her back. "You do not control my love life. So, stay out of it! And you've already got a boyfriend for Eden's sake!" Lightning snapped. "And don't tell me that I can't go after other men!" Serah retorted.

Amodar walked in with two other soldiers and they watched the fight between the Farron sisters unfold. It started with arguing, then it went to yelling and then it escalated to complete chaos. Sephiroth came up to Amodar and the lieutenant looked at the sisters and then at him in confusion. "I won an arm wrestling contest against Lightning, so she had to kiss me and go out with me tonight. Serah saw us and things got ugly from there..." Sephiroth replied. "Ah, where you taking her?" Amodar asked. "I was meaning to ask you about that." Sephiroth replied.


	6. Chapter 6

Amodar thought for a second before turning to the bickering sisters and then back to Sephiroth.  
"Well, why not take her out for a sunset walk along the beach and then go back for dinner and sex. If she'll let you that is. Don't force her, or you'll end up like Shaun." Amodar replied and pointed to one of the soldiers that walked in with him earlier. He was short and he had brown hair with green eyes. He was quite good looking, but by the way he looked into the glass at his reflection gave off the impression that he knew he was good looking.

"What happened to Shaun?" Sephiroth asked. Amodar sighed.  
"He tried to force her to have sex one night and she broke two of his ribs, his right leg, his left arm and fractured his knees. Everyone now knows not to do that. Ever. If she says no, get off the subject. I'm warning you now. So you don't end up like Shaun did, or worse." Amodar replied with a shake of his head. Then, they turned back to the fight going on in the centre of the room. Another one of the soldiers stepped in and stood in front of Lightning.  
"Light! Stop! She's your sister, don't hurt her. Like you did to Shaun." He said and pointed to the vain soldier. Lightning chuckled for a second and then tried to push him away.  
"Go away Devon." She said.

He stood as solid as a stone. The man looked quite a bit like Cloud did before he was bitten by a 'Striker', just not as muscular or as tall.  
"Devon. Move!" Lightning exclaimed and tried to bowl him over. Devon caught her hand and pulled her close. Sephiroth wouldn't have admitted it, but he felt a pang of anger pulse through his system. That anger soon left as Lightning shoved him away.  
"Devon, no! You know that it's over!" Lightning exclaimed and punched him in the face. Amodar shook his head.

"Devon's been trying to win her back ever since she dumped him after their first date." Amodar replied.  
"What?" Sephiroth asked in disbelief.  
"Yeah. During the first date, he didn't talk to her. He only talked to his friends and kissed her in front of them. Then, she had to carry him home after he got legless. She dumped him the very next day." Amodar replied. Sephiroth started laughing.  
"That's actually something the guy should be doing for the girl." Sephiroth chuckled. Amodar nodded.  
"Yeah, she's not your average woman. She's been through a lot over the past few years. Oh, and another thing. If she doesn't want to talk about the past, move on to another subject. Don't get her pissed off at all." Amodar replied.  
"Mental note made." Sephiroth said. Sephiroth walked up to Lightning and wrapped his arms around her before kissing her cheek. "Lightning, stop. Come on, let's go." Sephiroth said and led Lightning away from her younger sister.

They sat down on the sand and gazed into the horizon as the sun began to set. Lightning's head rested on his chest as Sephiroth held her waist and lovingly stroked the side of her neck.  
"So, what are we doing tonight?" Lightning asked. Sephiroth kissed her forehead and held her closer.  
"We're doing it. The beach at sunset. It's romantic, isn't it?" Sephiroth asked with a hopeful smile.  
"No, we need to do a little more. Like make out for example." Lightning replied.  
"Ok, then where do you want to eat?" Sephiroth asked and kissed her neck. Lightning sighed as his lips lightly touched the skin of her neck.  
"Mmmm... I don't know. I don't feel like much tonight. Maybe something sweet we can share?" Lightning asked in reply. Suddenly, Sephiroth had an idea.  
"Maybe we could bake a cake together?" he asked.  
"I love the idea. But, I can't cook. I can clean, but I'm a terrible cook. Serah and I learnt that the hard way." Lightning replied.  
"So? It won't be that much of an issue. I mean, it's still spending time together." Sephiroth said. Lightning sighed and kissed Sephiroth. They lay on the sand and watched the sun set with the pinks, the purples, the oranges and the reds blend into one dark colour. The last remaining streaks of light danced on the surface of the sea before it disappeared and gave the moon a chance to rise.

Then, Lightning and Sephiroth headed back to her place to bake a cake for the two of them to share. Sephiroth sat on the couch as Lightning placed her keys on the kitchen bench and picked up a note from Serah.

_Dear Lightning,  
__I'm sorry for freaking out earlier today. I'm staying the night at Snow's. There are some leftovers in the fridge. And the ingredients for chocolate pancakes are in the cupboard.  
__Serah._

Lightning chuckled and then put the note down.  
"What's up?" Sephiroth asked. Lightning sauntered over to Sephiroth and sat on his lap. She stroked the side of his face before pressing her lips up against his. She pulled her lips gently off of his and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
"Serah's staying at her boyfriend's tonight. So, we have the house to ourselves." Lightning said with a flirty chuckle. Sephiroth smiled, held her waist and then kissed her. When their lips parted, they got off of the couch and then headed into the kitchen.

After making a lot of mess in the kitchen and finally putting the cake in the oven, Sephiroth and Lightning headed back over to the couch. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around Lightning's waist and pressed his lips against hers. Their lips locked and unlocked continuously as Lightning began to unbuckle Sephiroth's coat. Sephiroth began to sigh and then pulled Lightning's coat off of her body. Sephiroth unzipped her top and then threw that to the ground. Lightning sighed and then pushed his coat off of his shoulders. Their kisses became more feverish as they settled down onto the couch and continued to caress each other. As their kisses ceased, their passion still burned brighter than the fal'Cie Phoenix. Sephiroth began to kiss her neck and she sighed in delight, stroking his head in return.

"Hey, baby? Why don't we do something later?" Lightning asked and then closed her eyes with delight. Sephiroth stopped kissing her neck and then looked into her ice blue eyes.  
"Like what?" Sephiroth asked with a cheeky smile and then pressed his lips against hers. Their tongues began to slowly caress before Lightning pulled away to answer.  
"Mmmm... sex?" she asked and then bit her lower lip. Sephiroth chuckled and then kissed her, running his hands up and down her body. Sephiroth released his lips from hers and then nuzzled her neck.  
"Sounds good to me." Sephiroth replied and then they kissed again.

The oven dinged and the two of them scrambled off of the couch and took the cake out of the oven. The scent of chocolate wafted through the entire house. They let it rest on the counter before Lightning led Sephiroth into her room and they stripped everything off before getting into bed together.

Lightning ran her hands across Sephiroth's abs and then kissed his chest. Suddenly, Sephiroth's mind flashed back to that cruel day in Nibelheim. The scene then replayed through his mind as Lightning continued to kiss his torso.  
_  
"You want to be the big bad angel in the relationship? Fine by me..." Cloud had said and then stroked Sephiroth's abdominals. Sephiroth remembered that this sensation angered him, but it pleased Cloud. _  
_"Baby, you feel good." Cloud had said and kissed Sephiroth's chest over and over again._

"Sephiroth? Are you alright?" Lightning asked with worry written over her face. Sephiroth's mind flashed back to reality as he saw Lightning's worry.  
"I'm... I'm fine." Sephiroth replied, his hands beginning to slightly shake.

Lightning could feel his hands shaking and then took them into her own before placing them on her back. She snuggled into his chest and then kissed his neck. Sephiroth had to take his hands off of her and distance himself from her. Lightning looked at him with a hurt expression and then she smiled sadly.  
"I was too pushy, wasn't I?" She asked.  
"No, it's not that. I just had a really bad experience recently. That's all." Sephiroth replied. Lightning sighed in relief and then lay on her back, occasionally turning back to the jittery angel. She sighed and then placed his arm around her body.  
"You can tell me you know. It might make you feel better, or I can help you get past it." Lightning said with a smile. Sephiroth sighed and then kissed her forehead.  
"Where do I start?" he asked.  
"How about telling me what happened?" Lightning asked in reply. Sephiroth told her everything about that day in Nibelheim and how his enemy had almost raped him.

"Ok, now to get past this you need to be relaxed. Turn over." Lightning instructed and Sephiroth turned onto his stomach as Lightning instructed him to. She sat on his lower back and massaged his shoulders and neck. Sephiroth sighed as she slowly worked the knots out of the tense areas in his back. After Lightning slid off of his back, Sephiroth lay on top on Lightning and began to kiss the top of her breasts. Lightning sighed as his lips worked their way up to her mouth. As their lips connected, Sephiroth could feel himself beginning to get aroused. Lightning wrapped her arms around his neck and then took one of his hands in hers. She placed his hand on her breast and Sephiroth's fingers began to play with her nipple. Lightning sighed as Sephiroth's tongue twisted with hers. As their lips separated, Sephiroth took a deep breath and inserted himself into Lightning.

Lightning began to sigh and moan in pleasure. Sephiroth then began to grind his hips against hers.  
"Just... Relax." Lightning whispered between breaths. She placed his hands onto her breasts and then kissed his neck.  
"Oh, baby this feels good." Lightning whispered as Sephiroth slowly picked up the pace and the intensity of their intercourse. Those words sounded so familiar to him, they sounded like the words Cloud spoke that day.  
"Oh, your body feels good against mine." Cloud had moaned. Sephiroth began to panic. Lightning noticed this and gently stroked the back of his neck, making him sigh with pleasure and he began to relax again.

Their embrace became more passionate and intense as every second passed. It was almost as if the electricity from a storm was being combined with that of a mako induced explosion. Suddenly, their bodies jolted and they let out loud sighs before Sephiroth slid out of Lightning. Sephiroth collapsed next to Lightning and then began to sluggishly kiss her body. Lightning's eyelid began to droop. Sephiroth nipped her nipple and she was startled awake. She sighed and then he began to kiss her lips. He released her lips as his own eyelids began to droop. It wasn't long before the two of them fell asleep, cuddled up together.


	7. Chapter 7

_Eleven days later..._

Lightning's birthday had arrived and Snow hugged an extremely nervous Serah. Serah had been meaning to tell Lightning her secret, but she just couldn't do it until now. Lightning was still asleep at this point. Sephiroth leaned against the wall connecting to Lightning's door with his arms folded and his head down, almost as if he was asleep himself.  
"Yo, Silver! Wake up the birthday girl!" Snow exclaimed quietly. Sephiroth looked up at the blonde and shot him a death stare before opening the door to his lover's room.

Sephiroth silently closed the door behind him and lay on the bed next to her. Lightning turned around and kissed his forehead. Sephiroth looked up to find her sitting up and wide awake, listening to music. She removed the buds from her ear and turned the music player off before setting it down on her bedside table.  
"How long have you been awake for?" Sephiroth asked.  
"Three hours. I'm so bored." Lightning replied with a sigh.  
"You're bored? How about I liven things up for you?" Sephiroth asked and then rested his head on his lover's breasts. Lightning brought his chin up to hers and kissed his cheek.  
"Go ahead." Lightning replied with a sigh.

Sephiroth chuckled and then pressed his lips up against his lover's. Their lips caressed as their embrace tightened over a few seconds. His hands travelled up her pyjama top and stroked her upper back. Lightning began to sigh as Sephiroth's hands wondered around her body. He rested his hands on her hips and released Lightning's lips from his. Lightning uttered his name repeatedly as he feverishly kissed her neck. Lightning's hands ran through his soft and luscious silver hair as Sephiroth began to kiss her sternum. She sighed and then kissed her lover's forehead. Sephiroth kissed Lightning again and then pulled away after a second.  
"Come on. You better get up." Sephiroth said, kissed Lightning's cheek and then pulled her out of bed.

Lightning got dressed into her uniform, even though she wasn't going to work today and exited her room with Sephiroth on her arm.  
"Happy birthday sis!" Snow exclaimed. Lightning looked at the NORA leader with a cold stare and shook her head at him.  
"I'm not your sister!" She snapped. Serah smiled at her older sibling in apology. Lightning crossed her arms and huffed. Serah placed a box on the dining room table and smiled.  
"Happy birthday." She replied. Sephiroth took her into his arms and kissed her. As soon as his lips left hers, Serah removed the bandage on her arm and revealed her brand.

"Lightning, I'm a l'Cie. And, Snow and I are engaged." Serah said and braced for the worst to happen. All hell began to break loose.  
"What? When did this happen?" Lightning asked angrily.  
"He proposed yesterday, but I was branded ten days ago." Serah replied.  
"You had to marry that idiot and you had to go and get branded, didn't you?!" Lightning hissed.  
"Wait a second. Lightning, she's your sister." Snow said.  
"Shut the fuck up Snow! This doesn't concern you! As for you... you are now my enemy. Be careful Serah, or I may have to bring you down myself." Lightning snarled and then turned her back on Serah and Snow. Serah's eyes began to tear up as she ran out of the house and slammed the front door behind her. Snow shook his head at Lightning.  
"You didn't have to be a bitch." He replied and followed Serah out. Lightning turned to look at the little box that sat on the table. She opened it and inside lay a survival knife.  
"How practical..." she uttered before putting it in her pocket and then sitting down on a chair.

Lightning buried her face in her hands and Sephiroth knelt down next to her.  
"You ok, sweetheart?" he asked. Lightning looked up and shook her head.  
"I never should have said what I did." Lightning replied and Sephiroth grabbed her hand. He turned it over and placed a box in her hand.  
"What's this?" she asked him and then opened the box. Sephiroth smiled at Lightning's surprised expression. Inside the box was the bracelet that had belonged to Sephiroth's grandmother.  
"My grandfather had this made for my grandmother's birthday. I figured that it would make sense to give it to you now." Sephiroth replied.  
"Would you mind putting it on?" Lightning asked.  
"Not at all." Sephiroth replied and took the bracelet out of the box and closed the clasp so that it fit snugly on Lightning's wrist. She ran her fingers over the cool materia and then smiled at her lover.

"Sephiroth, it's beautiful. Thank you." She replied and pressed her lips against his for a second. When she removed her lips from his, Sephiroth pulled her off of the chair and they held each other in a warm embrace.  
"Lightning, you hold my heart. I love you more than anything I ever have before." He whispered into her ear before kissing her ear lobe.  
"Me? Holding a hero's heart? I don't believe it. It's you who holds my heart... and my soul." Lightning replied before biting his lip and then pressing her lips up against his.

Suddenly, Snow ran in and the lovers ceased to kiss.  
"The fal'Cie kidnapped Serah!" Snow exclaimed.  
"It did what?" Lightning asked in surprise.  
"She's in the Vestige! I'm going to save her!" Snow exclaimed in reply and then bolted out the door.  
"I have to go and find Serah. Quickly." Lightning said and went to follow Snow out the door. Sephiroth took her hand and pulled her back into his arms.

"One last thing, my love." Sephiroth said and took her hands before getting down onto one knee.  
"I love you, Lightning. More than anything else. You mean everything to me. I know it's only been twelve days... But I feel that it was enough time to decide whether you were the one. And you are. You're the one for me." Sephiroth said and sighed.  
"My real name's Claire." Lightning replied. Sephiroth nodded and kissed her hands.  
"Lightning, Claire Farron... Will you marry me?" Sephiroth asked with a hopeful expression. Lightning closed her eyes, sighed and nodded.  
"Yes, I will." She replied and kissed him. Their lips parted and Sephiroth slid the matching ring down her finger.

Lightning chuckled.  
"They're like a matching pair, the bracelet and the ring I mean." She said. Sephiroth nodded.  
"It was my grandmother's as well. Again, it seemed like a good idea to give it to you today." He replied.  
"I love you." Lightning said.  
"I love you too." Sephiroth replied and pressed his lips against hers.


	8. Chapter 8

_After the events of FFXIII_

The l'Cie awoke from their crystal stasis. Fang and Vanille held up Cocoon as the military evacuated people from the multiple cities. Snow and Lightning were reunited with Serah and Sazh was reunited with his son, Dahj. Sephiroth held Lightning's waist and kissed her cheek. Hope turned to one of the soldiers and asked about his dad.  
"I'm very sorry. The building fell on top of him as the havoc skytank fell. There was nothing else we could do." The solider replied before leaving to perform his duties.

Hope shed a tear. He and his father were finally getting along, and then he lost both his parents so recently. Lightning and Sephiroth saw Hope's sorrow and Lightning headed over to the forlorn teenager. She gave the boy a comforting hug. Hope began to cry into her shoulder. Sephiroth also happened to wonder over and he placed his hand on Hope's shoulder.  
"It's ok Hope. I know it hurts. It hurts like hell." Lightning replied as Hope lifted his head off of the former soldier's shoulder. She let go of him and wiped away a tear.  
"Thanks Light." Hope replied.  
"Light. We need to talk." Sephiroth said and pulled her aside.

"I think that we should adopt Hope." Sephiroth said and then looked back at the solemn boy. Lightning smiled and wrapped her arms around Sephiroth.  
"I was just thinking the same thing." Lightning replied and they shared a kiss before telling Hope about their idea. Hope agreed.

_Two months later_

Sephiroth, Lightning and Hope lived happily in Nibelheim. Lucrecia and Hojo helped Hope with his science studies as he wanted to be a scientist. He also went to a normal school and had normal friends. Sephiroth still continued to work for SOLDIER and joined up as well, becoming the first woman to ever be a SOLDIER operative. Despite their troubled pasts, the three of them lived happily ever after.

_Author's note_

_I'm sorry it was so short. I didn't have the inspiration to do the entire FFXIII storyline. I at least wanted an ending. Once again, sorry for the shortness. :)_


End file.
